Standard Tree

In my real life (I’m currently surrounded by palm trees, pineapples, and puppies so this can’t be real life) any trip I have taken would be coming to a close. However, at the end of week one in San Pedro, this expedition is still in its zygotic stages. After seven days and three times as many meals*, I feel I have leveled up from “shoobie” to whatever the classification is for a level two tourist. Perhaps “overly comfortable houseguest.”

I have spent these past five days of increasing acclimation in Miss Yvette’s Standard 3 classroom at Isla Bonita Elementary School. The ten (what a peacefully low number “ten” is) children in my class are quite possibly the sweetest, but at the same time most mischievous, eight and nine year olds I have seen in my days. They are respectful to their teachers and excited to learn, but have no qualms about throwing a stuffed bear across the room at their classmate’s head as punishment for a wrong answer. This behavior seems to stem from their unwavering devotion to Angry Birds, a hobby that I was certainly not expecting to find at a small school in Central America. There’s a nice juxtaposition to be found in the students’ modern interests (Mario, Halo Reach, Ben 10) and their classroom language; they refer to their teachers as “miss” and “teacher x” so I have learned to respond to “Miss” (à la Summer Heights High) and “Teacher Shannon.” Feel free to continue this tradition once I’m back in the US.

An overly comfortable houseguest’s observation: You have the right of way in San Pedro. Whoever “you” are, zoom around the corner and skip across the street (no need to turn your head either way) because it’s all yours.  However, be careful of any other “yous” who happen to be out there zooming and skipping, taking advantage of their own right of way. I’m considering investing in a blinker-clad helmet in order to ensure an accident free walk to the fruit stand.

Thank you for your readership and have a pleasant day.

*Updated food list: fish empanada, chicken burrito, pineapple smoothie, banana bread, pico de gallo-infused turkey panini, chicken curry, coconut rice, watermelon, flautas, spinach and pork/cheese pupusas, and pineapple coconut juice.

I'm Alive

Despite not having updated this blog in four days, I did in fact make it to San Pedro, bags in hand.  From the backseat of an 11-person Tropic Air vessel, I waved goodbye to Belize City and hello to Ambergris Caye. A word of advice to anyone interested in taking this excursion themselves: deal with being cold on the plane because it’s not worth being a long-sleeved sweltering mess when you touch down in Central America. While the weather is the essence of tropical vacation when experiencing an ocean breeze, once the wind stops so does any memory of ever needing to wear more than a bathing suit.

A chronological update on my food experiences: coconut cream shrimp burrito, fresh pineapple, watermelon, habanero hot dog, papaya, chicken burrito, stewed chicken with rice and beans, fried plantain, and topped off with coconut ice cream that is still pleasuring my taste buds as we speak.

So far the ten of us on the trip have been filling our days with poolside lounging, off-the-pier swimming, bicycle rides through town, and gaping at what has to be the clearest water that exists on this planet.

One of the more amusing aspects of San Pedro is its dogs; they have the numbers and free reign of squirrels back home. This squirrel-dog lifestyle is one I’d adopt back in the States, especially if dogs could learn to climb trees.

Yesterday was our first visit to the schools. I will be working with Teacher Yvette in Standard III (or as the students say, “standard tree”) at Isla Bonita. I think the school is best described as “open air;” to get to my classroom I walk through a small courtyard and up a set of outdoor stairs. The children seem rambunctious but enthusiastic. More details to come on Monday when we begin our regular schedule in the schools.

I hope everyone back home is doing splendidly. I’ll send thoughts of pineapple your way.

Pre-Departure

Greetings and welcome to day one of my blog, day negative one of my Belizean adventures. As I sit in my room, 23 hours away from takeoff, I realize there is a world out there I will never be a part of. A world in which people do not throw their clean laundry on the floor, where suitcases are packed days before a 5 week trip instead of laying open on the ground waiting to be fed wrinkly t-shirts. It is the world of good packers, and I will never belong. Regardless, this time tomorrow I will be sitting on a plane bound for San Pedro--hopefully my clothes will be with me. Stay tuned to find out.